Love is Blind
by Ichiban Victory
Summary: Zelgadis has finally found his cure, but will things be the same when he finally goes back to Seyruun?


At last. At long last, after years of fruitless searching, Zelgadis Greywords had finally found his cure. It had been many years since his adventures with Lina and Co. In fact, Zelgadis wasn't even sure just how many years had passed since he had parted ways with the others. But that didn't matter. All that mattered was that he was finally human again - inside and out. Oh sure, he had to grow accustomed to being of weak flesh again, but he was finally happy. Or was he? It had been a while since he had last had friends'_._

"They all thought I was a freak, anyway." 

Zelgadis took out what had been his constant companion since he had set out on his own: a canteen. He took a sip from the canteen, and reflected on the past few weeks. Now that he had found his cure, most of his purpose in life was gone. He now found himself with too much time on his hands. Time with which he knew not what to do. As he sat contemplating, something rubbed against his hand. Zelgadis glanced down to look at the all-too-familiar bracelet dangling from the mouth of his canteen. He took it in his hand, reveling in the softness of it. The blue ornament attached to it caught his attention. The round shape of the blue sphere with a star embedded within stirred up memories long forgotten.

He thought of Lina Inverse, sorcery genius extraordinaire; of Gourry Gabriev, (previous) wielder of the Sword of Light; and of Amelia...the princess of Seyruun. The bracelet had been hers until she gave it to him as a parting gift.

"A rather odd parting gift," he thought. 

Zelgadis looked down at the blue sphere. In recent years it had become dull. He tried to shine it on his cloak, but to no avail.

"Probably has gone dull from being away from Amelia for so long."

He put the bracelet back on his canteen, and then put the canteen away. As he did so, Zelgadis' thoughts turned back to the little' princess.

"She's probably not so little' now." he thought. "Who knows? Maybe she's even the new Crown Princess of Seyruun, or maybe even...the queen..."

...Queen? But she had said she'd wait for him to return...

"Just how many years has it been?"

Zelgadis racked his brain for an answer.

"Well, I was 20 when I left, and I'm 30 now so..."

Ten years. It had been a whole decade since he had left. Zelgadis gagged at the realization.

"Ten years?!? How could I have let time get away from me?!? Do I dare show my face in Seyruun?"

But he had made a promise, a promise that he intended to keep. Zelgadis gathered his meager possessions to prepare for the trek back to Seyruun.

"First thing in the morning."

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

The journey back to Seyruun was taking much longer than Zelgadis had first anticipated. Now that he was no longer a chimera, his stamina had sharply decreased. Not only could he not cover as much ground, now he got hungry more frequently_. _

"If this keeps up, I'll be broke by the time I get there."

__

Having walked for three days, Zelgadis found himself in a small village. Upon passing by a restaurant, Zelgadis' stomach noisily reminded him that it was completely empty. Zelgadis decided to appease his stomach by stepping into the restaurant and ordering - not only the usual cup of tea - but a full-course meal to go with it.

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"Who knows when I'll get a decent meal next?"_ Zelgadis smiled at the irony, _

"If I keep this up, I may gain as ferocious an appetite as Lina!"

------------

The meal was delicious. After giving it enough time to settle, Zelgadis continued on his way. As he continued down the street, he came across a stable. Horses could be heard from within.

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"Horses...?"

Zelgadis had never had much use for the animals. Not since he'd become a chimera. He had been too heavy for the poor beasts to carry. But things were different now.

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"If I had a horse, I could cover much more ground."

Zelgadis entered the building.

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------------

Inside, the stable smelled strongly of alfalfa, horses, and not surprisingly - manure. A stable hand was standing near one of the stalls. Zelgadis approached the man.

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"Excuse me, sir. I'm interested in buying one of your horses. Are they for sale?"

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The stable hand looked up from his task - feeding the horses. 

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"That depends. How much've ya got?"

Zelgadis counted out his money. Three-hundred-five gold pieces

"I've got Three-hundred gold pieces." Zelgadis replied_._

"Three-hundred, eh? 

The stable hand scratched his chin.

__

"Tell ya what. I'll sell you that horse over there," _he said, pointing to a horse in the far corner. _"He's a good horse, but he has a wild streak. But I think you can handle im. Just to be fair I'll throw in a saddle n bridle, so that'll make it Two-hundred-fifty gold. Deal?"

The man held out his hand. Zelgadis thought for a moment. If he bought the horse, he'd only have fifty-five gold pieces for the rest of the trip. But if he didn't, it'd take him twice as long to get to Seyruun. Zelgadis mulled things over.

__

'Deal."

Zelgadis took the man's hand and they shook on it.

__

After paying for the horse and tack, Zelgadis had his new companion out of the stable. As he mounted the horse, Zelgadis realized he had never ridden a horse before. The horse, confused at his master's lack of commands, seized the moment by taking off at a fast gallop - with Zelgadis clinging on for dear life! 

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------------

After what seemed like an eternity (it was only about fifteen minutes), Zelgadis was finally able to control his rampaging steed. He even managed to get the horse to slow down to a trot.

After a few hours of travel, the duo came to a small stream. Zelgadis took the opportunity to give himself and the horse some time to cool down. As Zelgadis refilled his canteen, he took a closer look at his recent purchase.

__

The horse was a plain brown, with an almost black mane and tail. Not much to look at in Zelgadis' opinion. But he (Zelgadis was quick to realize that the horse was in fact male) was young and bursting with energy. It was that aspect of said horse that reminded Zelgadis of Amelia's own gung-ho attitude: if you gave either their head they were quick to speed off to do what they wanted. Just like the heroes of justice that Amelia looked up to.

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"Hero..." thought Zelgadis_. _"That'd be perfect, but let's call you Hiro' instead." 

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Hiro' turned his ears in Zelgadis' direction, but then resumed drinking_._

"Well, since you have no complaints, Hiro it is."

Zelgadis walked back over to Hiro and again mounted_._

"Let's be on our way then, Hiro."

Zelgadis was a bit nervous that Hiro would take off again, but this time the horse just plodded along. Zelgadis sighed with relief and settled into the saddle. Hiro again seized the moment and raced off!!

That evening, an exhausted horse and his disgruntled rider made their way into a clearing. The horse, worn out from a day of racing practically nonstop, halted in his steps. Zelgadis dismounted, but ever so slowly and carefully, as he had the worst saddle sores he could remember! (Which isn't surprising since he'd never ridden a horse before.) Hiro breathed in air like there was no tomorrow.

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"Serves you right for taking off like that!" Zelgadis grumbled to the horse.

__

But he was grateful for the distance they'd covered, even though it came at a painful cost. Zelgadis removed Hiro's bridle and saddle to allow the horse to recover quicker. While Hiro took to grazing, Zelgadis set up camp for the night.

After building a fire and securing Hiro to a nearby tree, Zelgadis sat down (but ever so carefully!) to eat some trail rations he had picked up in the village. Hiro just stared at him.

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"What are you looking at?" Zelgadis quipped.

Hiro kept staring.

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"Hey, this is my food! There's plenty of grass and clover to suit your needs!"

Hiro wasn't persuaded. Unable to sway the horse, Zelgadis took some dried apples from his rations and tossed them to Hiro.

"There. Are you happy?"

Hiro just munched contentedly on the apples.

"I shouldn't be giving you treats anyway, not with the way you disobey me."

Hiro glanced back at Zelgadis.

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"Don't give me that look! You know exactly what I'm talking about!"

Hiro just snorted in response.

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"Look at me, I'm sitting here arguing with a horse! I've been away from everybody too long. If I'm not careful, I might lose it!"

Zelgadis smacked himself in the head.

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"Now I'm talking to myself! I'm going to bed before this gets any worse."

With that, Zelgadis climbed into his bedroll, careful not to jostle his tender bottom, and fell asleep.

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* * * * * * * * * * * * *

The journey back to Seyruun was long, "And painful." thought Zelgadis, as he felt all of his aching muscles. But as he entered the city's gates, he knew it had been worth it. There was commotion everywhere: citizens out buying goods, vendors selling said goods, the occasional soldier to maintain the peace, and even children outside playing games.

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"Finally I can walk among them like a normal person." thought Zelgadis.

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He made his way towards the center of the great city, towards the palace. As he neared the palace, Zelgadis scanned the area.

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"The flag is at full mast. Good! ...there aren't many soldiers about, also a good sign...and there are plenty of citizens around. So far so good."

Zelgadis walked up to one of the palace guards.

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"Excuse me, I wish to request a conference with the Princess Amelia."

The guard looked Zelgadis over.

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"And who might be wanting this conference?"

Zelgadis cleared his throat and continued,"I am Zelgadis Greywords, a friend to the princess."

As Zelgadis spoke, he heard footsteps approaching. They were hesitant at first, but they quickly picked up speed.

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"Mister Zelgadis!" a feminine voice exclaimed.

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Zelgadis turned in time to see a blur of white before he was tackled! He looked down at his assailant. She looked just as he remembered her: still on the short side with short dark hair to match, the same child-like face with her small upturned nose, and her eyes! Her eyes were just as big and full of life and energy as the day they had parted.

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"Amelia," exhaled Zelgadis as he wrapped his arms around her petite frame.

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Upon hearing Zelgadis' voice, Amelia looked up. Zelgadis watched as the smile on her face faded, and as her brow furrowed as if in deep thought.

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"She must've just noticed my lack of features," thought Zelgadis with a smile.

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Amelia leaned in closer to his face to get a better look, which meant standing on tip-toe. Zelgadis knelt slightly to make it easier for her to study him. As her face came closer to his, Zelgadis could feel her warm breath on his skin. He continued to watch as her hand reached upward, running through his hair...and he yelped in pain as she tugged on his hair!

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"YEOWCH!"

Zelgadis sat up with a start, wide-eyed with shock. He looked around, noticing that he was in a small clearing. He put his hand up to his head and felt a wet patch in his hair. Zelgadis quickly brought his hand down to inspect it, fearing the worst, but was pleasantly surprised to discover it wasn't blood.

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"Then what...?"

Zelgadis was interrupted by something breathing in his ear. He quickly turned to see a dark shape looming over him!

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"AHH!"

Zelgadis tried to scramble away, but his legs were tangled! Since he couldn't escape, Zelgadis mustered up his courage and, casting a light spell, looked up at the figure.

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"Hiro?!?"

The horse had somehow gotten loose and had been snacking' on Zelgadis' hair. Zelgadis shot Hiro a dirty look, but as it was still the middle of the night, Hiro payed him no heed. So instead, Zelgadis retied Hiro to a nearby tree, and went back to sleep.

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------------

Morning cam much too soon, at least in Zelgadis' opinion. He arose from his bedroll and beganto pack it up. After a quick breakfast, Zelgadis gathered his gear, prepared Hiro, and then resumed his journey. As the morning progressed, Zelgadis' thoughts wondered. 

He thought about his life before becoming a servant to Rezo, his short-lived life of crime, his travels with Lina and the others, and of course he thought of Amelia. (Even if he wasn't consciously thinking of her, she was always in the back of his mind!) He went on to thinking about his departure, and why he had done it. 

Ever since becoming a chimera, all he had wanted was to be human again. He had given up everything: his home, his friends (of course, having his only two friends, Zolf and Rodimus, killed by Shabranigdo wasn't what he'd had in mind), even his loyalty to Rezo, his own grandfather. But then Lina had interfered and things had gotten chaotic after that.

Zelgadis had tried to remain distant from Lina, Gourry, and especially Amelia, but they wouldn't allow it. He'd resented it at first, but by the end he was actually glad to be with them. With them, Zelgadis could be normal, save for when Lina teased him or Amelia turned her affections on him.

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"But that's what finally convinced me to go off on my own to search for my cure."

No matter how indifferent, rude, or downright mean he'd been to Amelia, she had wormed her way into his heart.

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"It was because of her that I wanted all the more to regain my humanity. I wanted to become human again so that I could always stay by her side without having to worry about how others saw me."

Zelgadis looked down at his hands.

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"And now that I have regained it, there's nothing to prevent me from doing just that!"

Unless, of course, she no longer loved him. Zelgadis cringed at the thought. If he turned back now, he wouldn't have to worry about the possibility of being hurt. But if he did that, he might never know what could have been.

Regret, or possible heartbreak. Zelgadis scolded himself for even thinking about running away. What did he have to lose? If Amelia's feelings had indeed changed...

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"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it!"

Having finally decided, Zelgadis nudged Hiro in the withers, making the horse break into a (controlled) gallop.

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"On to Seyruun!"

------------ 

By late evening, Zelgadis finally reached familiar territory. He was approaching a large forest, save for the young trees off to one side. Zelgadis looked closer. The area surrounding the new growth looked like it had been burned recently. 

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"At least within the past fifteen years." Zelgadis thought.

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There were dead branches scattered about. (Zelgadis knew they were dead by the way they snapped when Hiro stepped on them.)

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"Wait a minute..." Zelgadis suddenly remembered,"this is where Prince Phil was assassinated! ...er, attacked! Then that means I've finally reached the outskirts of Seyruun!"

The excitement rose in Zelgadis' voice, who, due to habit, tried to remain cool.

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"So I'll be in Seyruun by tomorrow afternoon."

Zelgadis was overjoyed at the thought. The sooner he got to Seyruun, the sooner he could continue on foot (to spare his tender tushy anymore torturous horseback riding), but even more importantly, the sooner he would see Amelia again! But first he needed to get some rest. 

Again, Zelgadis tied Hiro to a nearby tree (making sure the knot was extra tight!), unpacked his bedroll and other necessities, and prepared dinner.

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"Blech! More trail food... Tomorrow I'm definitely getting a decent meal!" he thought with disgust.

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Zelgadis scratched his chin, which, he was quick to discover, had a small layer of peach fuzz.'

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"Looks like I'll be needing a shave, too."

Zelgadis shook his head. The things men do for ladies...

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"But for this lady - Amelia - it'll be worth it!"

After choking down his meal, Zelgadis pulled out the bracelet. It had been a comfort during his quest, giving him hope when he had all but given up, but tomorrow (hopefully) his true quest would finally be complete.

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************

Morning came, but Zelgadis had already woken up a while ago. Being this close to Seyruun made it somewhat difficult to sleep so, just before dawn, Zelgadis had set out to the city. Just as the morning sun had cleared the horizon, Zelgadis spotted Seyruun's city gates. Upon entering Seyruun City, Zelgadis scanned the area, just to be sure. Aside from the deja vu from the other night, nothing seemed amiss. However, Zelgadis was quick to spot a stable.

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"Looks like this is where you and I part, Hiro."

Zelgadis slid out of his saddle and led the horse to the stable's entrance.

The inside wasn't anything special, aside from being much classier than the previous stable. Zelgadis patted Hiro's nose as he led the horse inside.

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"Well, it looks like they'll take good care of you here."

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A stable hand, having seen a potential customer walk through the door, approached Zelgadis.

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"May I help you, sir?"

"Yes, actually. I was hoping I could leave my horse here."

"I see, and do you plan on taking it back?"

Zelgadis was taken aback. Good question...

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"Well...I'm not sure. I'm here to visit a friend, and depending on how that goes..." Zelgadis trailed off.

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The stable hand gave a knowing grin.

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"Oh, I see!"

Zelgadis ducked his head. 

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"So, is it all right for me to leave him here?"

"But of course, sir. Just let us know what's happening, eh?" The stable hand winked.

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".....well, umm, thanks." And with that, Zelgadis made a hasty retreat!

Back outside, Zelgadis fumed.

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"Some people! Just what was he implying?!"

Masking his embarrassment, Zelgadis set out for a decent meal and a bath.

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------------

After about two hours, a much cleaner and well fed Zelgadis stood before the castle gates. After gazing at the castle for a few seconds, Zelgadis gathered his courage and approached the gate's guards.

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"Halt! Who goes there?" _The guards didn't seem too friendly._

"I am Zelgadis Greywords, a friend of the royal family. I wish to request a conference with the princess, Amelia.

The guards whispered among themselves, making Zelgadis all the more nervous. Finally, they faced him, big grins apparent on their faces.

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"This can't be too good..." Thought Zelgadis.

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"THE Zelgadis Greywords? He who traveled with the Dragon Spooker, Lina Inverse, and spread Justice throughout the land?"

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Zelgadis was utterly dumbfounded_. _"What is with the Seyruun people, anyway?" he thought.

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'Yes, I am."

"Please, come this way, Mister Greywords," _said the guard, as he led Zelgadis inside._

------------

Zelgadis was led to the room just outside of the throne room. 

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"Please excuse me,' said the guard. He then entered through the doors into the throne room, leaving Zelgadis alone.

Zelgadis passed the time by looking about the hall, especially at all the family portraits. He didn't have too much time to contemplate them, as the guard was quick to return.

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"The king will see you now."

Zelgadis gulped. Who was the king now? His thoughts were soon answered as he walked through the doors into the throne room.

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"Prince Phil?!"

It was true! Although he looked quite a bit older, the Prince - make that King - of Pacifism himself sat upon the throne.

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"Mister Zelgadis, it is good to see you again!" King Phil boomed. He was quick to spring up and crush Zelgadis in a bear hug.

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After regaining the use of his lungs, Zelgadis responded.

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"King Philionel, it is good to see you as well. You look as young (and strong) as ever!" _Zelgadis continued, _"but as you must already know, I came here for...another reason_." He thought with a smile. Zelgadis fingered his treasured bracelet for the umpteenth time._

King Phil's face grew somber.

"Yes, but there is something you must know about my dear Amelia..."

************

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Elsewhere in the castle, in her room to be specific, Amelia was enjoying the warmth of the evening sun. She had actually drifted off to sleep when her dreams were interrupted. 

Amelia awoke with a start. Had it been a dream? .....no! There it is again! It sounds like....could it be? Amelia quickly stumbled her way to the door and stepped out into the hallway. There! It was him!

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"it's Mister Zelgadis..." she said with wonder.

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Amelia was overcome with the urge to rush down the stairs to the throne room, but the last time she had done that she'd practically broken her neck.

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"I can do this!" thought Amelia as she carefully made her way down the stairs.

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A few minutes later, she successfully made it to the bottom. A victory for her. As she approached the throne room, she was stopped by a guard.

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"Princess Amelia, your presence is requested in the throne room."

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Amelia's heart lept. This could be what she'd been waiting for! The guard opened the throne room door for her to allow her through.

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------------

"What?! How did this happen?!" Zelgadis was stupefied_. _"All my searching...all that work..."he was having trouble keeping his composure.

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King Phil was about to answer Zelgadis' question, but he was interrupted by the door opening. He and Zelgadis looked up to see Amelia poke her head into the room.

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Zelgadis was quick to notice that Amelia was dressed in a simple white dress. She looked very much like he remembered her: the dark shoulder-length hair, her petite (not nearly as petite as Lina) frame, her little snub nose, and those eyes... Amelia's eyes were still as blue as ever, and yet, there was something missing...

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"No, it can't be..."Zelgadis was still in shock.

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"You wanted to see me, Daddy?"said Amelia.

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"Yes, Amelia, you have a visitor." replied Phil.

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Amelia's face broke out into a smile as she made her way into the room. Her steps were slow and cautious, as if she were unsure where she was going. Zelgadis had to say something, but Phil was first to speak.

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"I'll leave you two alone, I'm sure you have much to catch up on." King Phil got up and left the room.

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Zelgadis felt awkward. Here he was, finally back to see Amelia, and now he was at a loss for words. Better start simple.

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"Hello, Amelia."

Amelia, having heard Zelgadis' voice, walked in his direction until she was standing right next to him. Next thing Zelgadis knew, he was caught up in a huge embrace. It was quickly over however because Amelia stepped back with a puzzled look on her face.

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"What's wrong, Amelia?" asked Zelgadis_._

"You..feel different..." It dawned on Amelia_. _"You found your cure!"

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Zelgadis again found himself in a big embrace. 

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"Yes, Amelia. I finally found my cure, and I did it for you."

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The smile left Amelia's face. Now Zelgadis had the puzzled look on his face.

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"Oh, Mister Zelgadis, what you looked like never mattered to me. I love you for who you are, not what you look like_." As Amelia spoke, she felt something dropping on her head. Something wet. _"Mister Zelgadis?"

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Zelgadis was openly sobbing. He had always heard what she said when they traveled together, but he hadn't truly understood the extent of Amelia's acceptance of him until now. All of that time spent searching was for naught.

Amelia could no longer see.

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Wow, I forgot I can add author's notes, so here goes! I thought up this fic (almost 2 years ago, now!) after reading a multitude of Zelgadis-returns-to-Amelia-and-life-is-good, and let me tell you (not to dis any of those authors), I got sick of them! They all had happy endings! Now I'm not against that (I thrive on stories that end on a good point), but enough is enough. So one night this idea came to me, and after putting it off for a while (I didn't think I could write fanfics back then) I decided to write it and put it online. This is what you've just read. 

Also, I know the 10 year gap was a bit much, but I don't really think Zelgadis would (if ever) find a cure that quickly. (In my opnion he's wasting his time.) And I never really said Amelia was waiting for Zelgadis, either. I know that she cares for him and all, but life goes on, whether we want it to or not. I also cut the scene where Phil tells Zelgadis just what happened to Amelia (in short, she was a diplomat to a faraway land, and while there a plague broke out. She helped those she could until she fell ill as well. She was rushed back to Seyruun with a major fever, nearly died from it, and when she finally recovered she was robbed of her sight) because I thought it wasn't needed. But basically, that happened to her when she was about 24 or so (she's 28 in the fic), and she's been hidden away in the palace ever since. Is it any wonder she wanted out? But anyway, there is now a sequel to this story called 'Please Show Me the Way'. It may take me a while to get it all up, but I'll try not to torture you guys too much. (Being an avid fic reader myself, I hate when the author takes a month+ to post!) 

Man, I keep forgetting to add stuff. Thank you Rocky, for reminding me about the extra ending! ^_^;; For those of you who haven't seen it, I originally justified myself (kinda sorta) with a little chat with the cast at the end of this fic. Unfortunately I couldn't add that part onto the ff.net version, but you can go to my own site and see it here: http://www.purple-gizmo.com/ichiban_victory/love_is_blind.html


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